It is now a four-horse race for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party after Ciara Conway threw her hat into the ring today.

The Waterford TD announced that she will be in the running up against Junior Transport Minister Alan Kelly, Research Minister Sean Sherlock and Cork TD Michael McCarthy to take over Joan Burton's position.

Ciara Conway said today: "I’m announcing today that I am going to ask the members of the Labour Party to support me as Deputy Leader.

"As a new and young member of Dáil Eireann, I am beginning this campaign on a basis of humility, and with great respect for other candidates already declared."

The 33-year-old said that her party had suffered "a great setback" in terms of its values and ideals and added: "We need to be inspired again... We need to rediscover hope."

Mentioning the medical card controversy and allegations of garda malpractice, TD Conway said that the party had made mistakes.

And she promised that if elected as deputy leader, she would not accept a ministerial post.

She said: "I want to influence the direction of this Party, to represent its values, to represent the voice of the membership honestly, without being compromised by the vested interest of Cabinet or Ministerial position. I want to be an independent member of the leadership team."

Meanwhile, Social Protection Minister Joan Burton remains the favourite to take up the reins of Eamon Gilmore, who said at the end of May that he would be stepping down as party leader.

Alex White is also now in at 3/1 with bookmaker Paddy Power to replace Gilmore as Labour head, while there is speculation that Kerry TD Arthur Spring could also enter the race.